


Lady of Tears.

by TayBartlett9000



Category: Historical RPF, The Tudors (TV)
Genre: Catholicism, Elizabeth Tudor (mentioned), England - Freeform, Gen, History, Katherine grey (mentioned), Lineage, Mary Grey (mentioned), Short Story, Tudor, faith - Freeform, protistant, succession
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-20
Updated: 2018-07-20
Packaged: 2019-06-13 10:38:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15362730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TayBartlett9000/pseuds/TayBartlett9000
Summary: Mary Tudor  knows that she is ill and possibly nearing the end of her life. She has been advised to choose a successor but she is unsure of whom she should choose. Does she choose her own sister, the Lady Elizabeth, or does she choose the younger sister of the woman who ruled for only nine days, Katherine Grey?





	Lady of Tears.

Lady of Tears.

 

 

I know that I won’t live forever, nor will the people  who believe in the true faith. I know that  for all my good   intentions for bringing England under control, my kingdom is tumbling down around my ears. I want to weap, to weap for  those  who  do not have the courage to allow God to lead them down the true path and to weap for my impossible situation.

My advisors have told me that my illness is growing worse. They tell me that in order to ensure that England flurrishes, I have to name a successor. I have tried to put this issue to one side for too long. That is what they tell me. I am the queen, and it already seems as if my ministers are trying to force me out for the crime of merely restoring the true faith to this great land.

 But I   do have options. Admitedly, these options are not very good ones. I can choose between a heretic or a traitor. That is  both the long and the short of it. Some have suggested Mary Stuart, the Scottish queen. I refused to entertain such a notion. I will never allow a woman of no political worth to sit upon the throne of this country. England should never have a woman of foreign blood as its queen.

So, in short I can choose between the two English noble woman that my ministers have selected for me.  I like neither of those options but they tell me that I must choose between one of them.

I do not know  which woman will be better for my country, but as I sit in my study with my quill in hand, I am prepared and willing to make my choice. I must make my choice and I must make it today, before the sun sets over this island. I can feel my time running out.   

 Lady Elizabeth – my own sister is not a very good choice. Her  protestant  faith  revolts me to my core, and yet she seems to have half of  England held tightly in the palm of her heretic hand.

It has been a long time since my younger sister has been at court. I have ensured that this particular little lady has been kept far from court and from public scrutiny.  That useless wastrel, apart from being the daughter of that whore Anne Boleyn, is not a suitable queen. She has too many of my late father’s qualities and the ones she does have within her are  undesirable ones at that.

Then there is Lady Katherine Grey. I have had the misfortune to have met this girl a few times since I first took the throne. I can see her in my mind’s eye as if she is standing before me, though she is far from me at  this time. This is a thing that I am infinitely grateful for.

 She has spent most of her time at court chasing the men, servant boys and indeed anyone who gives her the eyes. That girl seems to care more for her many unscrupulous  dalliences  than for  her duty to this country. Her younger sister seems to have a more sensible head upon her shoulders. Mary has comforted me much throughout my reign as queen. If I could, I would select Mary Grey  rather than that spoiled and tempestuous sister of hers.

No. I cannot in all conscience select the Lady Katherine as my kingdom’s future  queen. Her sister Jane tainted England with her so called enlightened faith, and I certainly do not trust the Lady Katherine’s wilfulness.

I do not at all like the idea of my sister becoming queen, but she does have more of a   right to govern the country than Lady Katherine does. She has strong  Tudor blood, though the harlet doesn’t share my faith. She does have the old  king’s  strength. That is at least one positive.

I lift my quill, unable to take my eyes from the page before me. I  have made my decision, and yet I fear to put quill to paper.

A nock at the door and I flinch as if anticipating the blow. I know it is my ministers. They are trying to hurry my decision. I can stall no longer.

As the sun sets below the horizon of England, slanting rayes falling onto the page before me, I place my quill into the pot of ink and begin to write. 

‘Elizabeth Tudor.’ 


End file.
